This does not mean Amazon would not buy a department store. I can certainly picture it acquiring Nordstrom (NYSE: JWN); which has a “best in the industry” reputation, and a loyal customer following much like Whole Foods. It also likes to implement next generation retail practices like setting up “storefronts” for online merchants and Tesla dealerships in its stores.

Some observers even point to the lack of bankruptcies (or major bankruptcies) to cast doubt upon all the whole proposition of a retail apocalypse. These critics are mistaken; the lack of bankruptcies does not make the apocalypse fake news. The Dallas Morning News estimated that 5,377 chain store closings had been announced as of May 14, 2017.

All of these investments are real risky and you’ll probably lose money but you never know. As Benjamin Graham liked to point out Mr. Market is completely insane and he often rewards off the wall investors while punishing conventional thinkers severely.

Investors need to say away from a potential Kmart REIT like anything Lampert touches it will lose money. It looks as if another group of investors are about to get burned by another lousy Lampert stock.

Those closures are addition to 46 shutdowns the company had announced internally on December 27. If these reports are true, Sears might be closing 196 stores. That’s more than 10% of Sears’ footprint, it currently operates around 1,500 stores.

Just to remain viable as a retailer; Sears would have to close 43% of its stores or around 300 locations, Green Street estimated. That figure might be optimistic because of the loss of consumer confidence in Sears. There is no evidence that customers would return if Sears shuttered a bunch of money-losing locations.